Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you for joining us, Ms. Maund.
I am rather annoyed. I don't know where, as a society and as human beings, we got off on the wrong track. We now have a third generation of people living on social assistance. It is more lucrative for people to stay home than it is for them to go to work. The only employment available is either part-time or unstable. Everyone who works contributes to EI, but when layoffs occur, people aren't eligible for benefits.
So a woman with children is better off saying home and living on social assistance than finding fulfilment by working. It makes no sense. I imagine you have given some thought to ways that we could work together to reduce child poverty, of course, but we must also help the parent.
In your report, you state that little progress has been made to eliminate child poverty. Nevertheless, a number of positives or strengths are listed, including a strong financial position to make needed investments—a projected federal surplus of over $13.2 billion for 2005-06. The surplus was actually greater than that. Also, other provinces have already committed to provincial poverty reduction strategies. As for the weaknesses, you state that there is insufficient political will and leadership to establish a plan with targets and timetables, federal-provincial inter-jurisdictional issues can complicate implementation, and competing/shifting political priorities compromise progress.
Your group has been around for 18 years now. I am sure that you have given some thought to implementing a strategy and timetables that are almost achievable, because, as legislators, we don't seem to be clever enough to do it ourselves. It is a hot topic one year, and completely forgotten the next. This is something that must be addressed on a ongoing basis, rather than sporadically.
Can you provide us with a plan that we could then bring forward? In view of what Irene and Mr. Pearson have said, and what they have done elsewhere, I think we could benefit from your expertise in order to help our children find a way out of this misery that should not be occurring in 2007.